By Jon Marks
Phyllis W. Beck was a trailblazer.
The first woman appointed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court back in 1981 trailblazed in all aspects of life until her death on March 3 at 97.
“She reached heights no woman before had reached and then she swung the door open for the rest of us,” said her granddaughter, Rebecca Dubow, at her funeral at Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El in Wynnewood on March 6. “She leaves behind generations of women she inspired to follow her lead. We’ll always carry her legacy with us. She trailblazed.”
Rebecca was among several family members who spoke at the funeral at the synagogue where Phyllis and her husband, the late Dr. Aaron Beck, were original members going back to the 1960s. The service was officiated by Beth Hillel-Beth El Senior Rabbi Ethan Witkovsky and Assistant Rabbi Lilli Shvartsmann. Speakers included her son, Roy, daughters Judy and Alice, daughter-in-law Lois Whitman and granddaughters Jody Beck and Debbie Busis.
They talked about a woman who, along with her husband, the father of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, took great pride in raising their family. But at the same time, she never let that deter her professionally from her task of pursuing justice.
“My mother always pushed us to get out of our comfort zone and use our voices,” said Alice Dubow, who followed her mother’s lead by becoming an attorney and then a judge. “Meals were very important to her. For 15 years, we had Sunday night dinner with Mom and Dad. Those dinners connected us with one another and fostered a strong family bond.”
The daughter of Yiddish-speaking Polish immigrants who grew up in the Bronx with a brother and sister, Phyllis Whitman attended Hunter College High before going on to Pembroke College of Brown in Providence, Rhode Island, where she met Aaron. Following graduation she worked as a researcher at Time magazine before getting married and moving to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where she became a reporter for the Berkshire Eagle.
Two years later, the Becks moved to Pennsylvania, where Phyllis began raising her family and getting involved with the Democratic Party and the League of Women Voters.
That led to her deciding to go to Temple Law School, where she completed the eight-year program in just five in 1967 before working at a couple of local firms. Eventually, she became a judge, and then she was invited to become vice dean and a teacher at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1976.
Five years later, when the Pennsylvania Superior Court expanded to 15 seats, Governor Dick Thornburgh selected her to fill one of them on an interim basis. She was elected to a 10-year term in 1983 and subsequent terms until her retirement from the court in 2006.
“She was deeply committed to justice and really worked hard as an advocate for judicial independence,” said her friend and colleague Lynn Marks, the former longtime CEO of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, who taught a class with her at Temple’s Lifelong Learning Institute on “hot topics in justice and law” from 2016 until just a few weeks ago. “She was in many ways the poster child for judicial reform in the state. She was one of a kind. Definitely ahead of her time.”
Her loss is being recognized by her legal contemporaries as well as the Independence Foundation, where she served as board chair for over 30 years.
“Judge Beck was a treasured member of the Philadelphia legal community,” said Katayun I. Jaffari, chancellor of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, which awarded her the Brennan Distinguished Jurist Award in 1997 and the Sandra Day O’Connor Award in 2005. “She was a distinguished jurist, a trailblazer, a teacher, a mentor and a philanthropist. She was dedicated to the people of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, advocating for judicial independence and reforms to create a more equitable justice system. Her refusal to accept limits paved the way for other women to follow in her footsteps and build successful legal careers here in Philadelphia. We are grateful to Judge Beck for her courage, guidance and leadership. She will be greatly missed.”
She was also recognized by the Independence Foundation, which renamed its Public Interest Law Internship after her last year.
“Judge Beck was a remarkable leader whose passion for the Foundation’s mission and her unwavering commitment to public interest law left an indelible mark,” read their statement.
“While she is perhaps best known for her work in the Philadelphia legal and judicial community, her legacy also extends to the arts and humanities. Judge Beck was a fierce advocate who understood the transformative impact of the arts on our communities. Her commitment to health care reform was another cornerstone of her work. She had a vision for a vibrant Philadelphia and used the Foundation’s resources and influence to bring it to life, furthering innovation in many sectors.”
But as much as she loved her work, family came first.
“Under that judicial robe she wore she was just a Jewish mother,” said her daughter Alice. “She expected her children to be productive. She expected us to be committed to our families. And she kvelled over our accomplishments.”
Phyllis Beck leaves behind four children, 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Jon Marks is a Philadelphia-area freelance writer.